


Finding One's Way

by orphan_account



Category: Rapunzel (Fairy Tale)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 04:52:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3837754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rapunzel was not conscious for the first few days after they found her on the desert floor only a day from death. When she finally awoke, strange faces and unfamiliar surroundings surrounded her. It caused the panic to take center stage and she thrashed on the bed, trying to get away.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding One's Way

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gehayi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gehayi/gifts).



Rapunzel was not conscious for the first few days after they found her on the desert floor only a day from death. When she finally awoke, strange faces and unfamiliar surroundings surrounded her. It caused the panic to take center stage and she thrashed on the bed, trying to get away.

The hushed voices and soothing whispers did little to calm her. It only made her more determined to get out of wherever she was being held.

“Be calm child,” an older voice chided. “Your body was put through quite a lot recently and any more strain could be dangerous for the child.”

She blinked. “Child?”

“Why yes, dear. You’re with child, didn’t you know?”

Panic slowly began to fade at that point. How did she not know she was carrying her soon-to-be-husband’s child? If Rapunzel had known, she would have tried even harder to get out of the desert.

“Where am I?” Rapunzel croaked. She mouthed out ‘thank you’ as a cup of water was brought to her lips. A few sips later Rapunzel felt like she would finally be able to speak more clearly. “The last thing I remember is wandering through the desert.”

The older woman smiled and placed the cup back on the nightstand beside the bed. “We are a small commune having found refuge in the desert. During one of our food grabs we stumbled upon you.”

“Imagine living in the desert of all places. It’s so isolated.” Rapunzel muttered, aware this was not true isolation. True isolation was living for days on end in a tower with nothing but the bugs and your imagination to keep you company. “Is that why you live here?”

She chuckled. “It provides enough isolation from the ones who want to do us harm but we aren’t alone. We have each other.”

“Why hide?”

“The world isn’t fond of witches.”

Rapunzel nodded, laying back on the bed. Mother had abandoned her in the desert with the intention of it taking her life but it had not. The kindness of others had given Rapunzel a second chance.

“You say the child is all right?” Rapunzel asked reluctantly.

“Yes, your child is fine.”

“Are you sure?”

The woman nodded. “I act as a midwife here and know the child still lives. Whether it might experience consequences outside the womb is something I cannot predict, however. Mindreading isn’t something midwives possess.”

It was a comforting response even if most might not view it as such.

“Thank you for saving us,” Rapunzel murmured, settling down back into the bed. Her eyes fluttered open and closed. The panic was now gone so Rapunzel felt like she could finally sleep. There was still so much worry for the prince and the child she hadn’t known she was carrying but there was nothing that could be done about that given her current state.

“Would you tell me your name before I let you sleep? I can’t keep calling you child.”

“Rapunzel.”

“I am Rosa,” she smiled. “Go ahead and sleep Rapunzel. Perhaps when you wake up, you will be able to eat.”

Rapunzel did not need to be told twice.

~*~

The first day he stumbled through the woods, struggling to get just a few feet without falling onto the forest floor. It was impossible and he gave up, letting the grief overtake him. He could not find food or shelter without his sight.

It was the hag’s intention, no doubt but even if there was a way to escape this forest and survive, it did not matter. Rapunzel was dead. If not yet then she would succumb to the elements.

“Humans,” a voice muttered. “You lot always give up when things get tough.”

“Who are you?” the Prince shouted.

It laughed. “Still such vigor even when you’ve reached this low point. Maybe, you are not as hopeless as I thought human.”

“My name is Prince David—“

“There is no such thing a royalty here human. You best learn that right now.”

David thought vaguely of asking for directions, a way to get back to the palace but he could not go back in his current state. It would be a disgrace to his family.

“Leave me then or do you enjoy taunting a blind man?” David croaked, flinching when a droplet of rain splashed on his face. Maybe he would finally succumb to the elements like, his dearest Rapunzel had. Then David would be finally reunited with her—not in the way, he originally wanted but it would have to do.

The voice laughed. “Oh, please don’t try to bait me, human. You may have lost your sight but you still have your other senses. With a little guidance, you’d be able to use them quite well.”

“Are you offering?”

“If you can stand up and find me, I’ll consider it.”

David huffed. “You enjoy taunting humans don’t you creature?”

“Lycan,” it corrected.

“Half wolf, half human? Surely, you should understand then. You have wolf instincts to guide you.”

“True, but you aren’t even trying.”

He felt a burst of annoyance and determination. What right did this lycan have to taunt him? It made David get to his feet.

“A start,” it said. “Now, follow my voice. If you can find me then I might help you.”

It was not easy for David to find the lycan. He came close to falling several times but managed to catch his balance each time. In the end, David was able to find the lycan and received praise from the creature. 

He was indifferent too it though felt like his pride was being wounded. To think he, a prince, would be taking orders from a wolf but David was not stupid. Help was something he desperately needed.

“Well, it seems that the human can overcome his grief and self-hatred in order to survive. I’m a little impressed, emphasis on the word little.”

David sighed. “So, that is a no then?”

Another laugh. “Listen to my footsteps and follow me into my den. I will give you some much needed shelter from the rain and when it’s over, we hunt and forage.”

~*~

Rapunzel remained worried throughout the entire pregnancy but she did not let it overwhelm her. Instead, she focused on helping out the commune—especially with tasks that involved going outside. Any chance Rapunzel had to go outside she took it.

After having nothing but a window for years, she was finally able to be outside. The sun was constantly beating down on Rapunzel when she was out there but it did not matter. For her, it was glorious to experience the sun first hand. A sunburn was her last worry.

“Rosa?” Rapunzel asked one day while helping the older witch brew a few potions. It was one of her other tasks she enjoyed. “Do you think you can teach me a bit about magic?”

“It takes quite a long time to learn but I’d be more than happy to teach you the basics. Why the sudden interest though, Rapunzel?”

“Curiosity.”

It seemed to be enough of an answer for Rosa because she laughed and nodded in response.

Eager to learn, Rapunzel was ready the next day but her body had other plans when it decided it wanted to go into labor the next day. At first, she tried to ignore it. Soon, however, the pain became too much for Rapunzel to ignore.

“Rosa,” she gasped. “I think the children are coming.”

Rosa was magnificent as always. She coached her throughout the entire birthing process so Rapunzel felt no fear at all. The only time she felt any fear was the pain after the first baby. Why hadn’t it stopped?

“It seems there is another one coming, Rapunzel. You’re having twins.”

“Twins?” Rapunzel whispered. “Are you sure?”

The second cry proved that Rosa was indeed very sure. She felt a myriad of emotions but most of them were positive. Her children were here—and the boy and girl were the spitting images of the prince. “What do you think of the names Grace and Daniel?”

“Good names,” Rosa smiled.

Rapunzel had trouble adjusting the first few days. She felt like she was doing everything wrong. Slowly, she began to realize that was not the case at all.

The prince should be able to see his children, experience a life with them. Rapunzel had toyed with the idea of never trying to leave the desert and find her way to the kingdom. By now, the prince would have thought her dead and moved on, possibly even taking a wife. 

It broke Rapunzel’s heart but seeing her children gave her a little hope—if only for the fact that they had every right to meet their father. She had thought about it before though was now sure.

“Traveling through the desert would be very difficult I imagine—especially with two infants,” Rapunzel mused aloud. “Perhaps I should wait until they are older and I am more confident in my abilities to travel through the desert.”

Rosa glanced over at her. “Is that why you were so eager to learn the basics of magic?”

The only answer Rosa received was an embarrassed flush appearing on her cheeks.

~*~

The wolf David eventually came to know by Rowan had quite a laugh watching him try to learn to hunt and learn to survive without the use of his sight. In time, David learned and there were plenty of trials and errors but he pushed forward.

He was unwilling to give up because Rapunzel would not want that for him. She would want him to survive.

“You’re getting better, David. I say you’re nearly on par with my cubs now and it only took you a year.”

David huffed, glancing in the direction he knew Rowan was. He could hear faint yips and growls, which meant the cubs, were nearby as well. While he and Rowan butt heads, David was quite fond of the children.

“I suppose I could thank you,” David said after a moment.

Rowan smiled, despite being in her wolf form. It was possible but showed her sharp teeth. “Yes, but don’t. There is no reason to thank me—I was always going to help. No reason I couldn’t have any fun first.”

In the months David had been out here, he had come to accept that he would never go home. It was not that David would not be able to find the kingdom but rather he could not. What would be the point? He was crippled now; a shame to the family and most importantly, Rapunzel was gone.

“I still think your being stupid, David. You could always go home,” Rowan commented. “There is nothing keeping you here accept your fear.”

“What if I were to tell you I prefer it here in the forest than the palace? At least here you don’t have to deal with the mind numbing subject of politics.”

“No, you just have to be worried about becoming the prey of another animal.”

David laughed but his mind would not be changed. Here, he was comfortable and at least likely not to go insane with grief. Perhaps one day he would try to seek out the village.

“I’ll try to remember that.”

She laughed. “Be ready to pack up and move tonight. It’s time we found a new den.”

David nodded. “Let me gather some more food for the trip first.”

It was still a process but David did not return empty handed. He came with edible berries, fruit, and a rabbit for the cubs.

“The rabbit is a little small.”

“Yes, but as you once told me food is food.”

Rowan chuckled again. “True, I suppose the rabbit will do for now. We need to get going anyways.”

“Any reason for the sudden move?” David asked, finally feeling concerned.

“Clearly you still have a lot to learn David but I don’t expect a human to be able to pick up everything so quickly, anyway.

He was not sure whether to feel insulted by that or not.

~*~

After four more years, Rapunzel finally felt ready to leave the commune and search for her prince. Her children, now four, still depended on her but Rapunzel was confident in her own skills.

They would eventually make their way to the forest and then to the kingdom where the Prince was sure to be.

“Are you positive that you don’t need a guide to take you part of the way, Rapunzel?”

She shook her head and embraced Rosa. “I thank you for everything Rosa but the tracking spell will help me find my way to the kingdom and, if I did it right, straight to David.

Rapunzel understood that the witches and warlocks at the commune could never go past the barrier for fear of being caught. It was why Rapunzel wanted to learn magic in the first place.

“Ready?” she asked her children. When they nodded, she led them outside.

During her second trek through the desert, Rapunzel felt just as nervous as the first time. The only difference was the confidence she felt. One night when it became especially cold, Rapunzel did have a sliver of doubt but then the forest finally entered her field of vision. They had made it.

“We’re getting there,” Rapunzel said to her children, trying not to cry as they entered the forest. The twins were complaining that they wanted to rest but she was more than happy to oblige. 

They traveled a little farther in order to find a place to make camp though the sight of the Prince walking with a wolf at his side was enough to stop Rapunzel right in her tracks.

“David?” Rapunzel whispered, taking a step forward.

He frowned and glanced at the wolf as if that were the one who was speaking. She then spoke again.

“David, is it really you?” She took another step forward, the children clutching the skirt of her dress. There was scar tissue around his eyes and—he was blind. David could not see her so Rapunzel spoke for a third time. “It’s me, David—Rapunzel.”

Somehow, someway they had found their way to each other again—and nothing would tear them apart.


End file.
